We All Go Insane Anyway
by totalnerdchick12
Summary: You're 18 year old Lizzie Bircher and your life is perfect...until all your friends go completely insane. You yourself may not be who they think you are, or who YOU think you are, for that matter. Can you keep your sanity, or will you end up like them...or worse?
1. Real Friends Are Named Matthew

Your week was going to be perfect. You were finally free. But what you didn't know was how much your simple life was about the change...starting with your best friend.

You smile in the mirror, and accept the fact that your appearance is as good as it's going to get. You really don't know why you're stressing so much; it's only a trip to the local diner with your best friend Matthew. Maybe it was because you've had a strange feeling that something really bad was going to happen. You shade your head, trying to clear your mind. So with your lavender overcoat and positive (yet immensely shy) attitude, you leave your apartment.  
Yes, that's right. You, eighteen-year-old Lizzie Bircher and now high school graduate, are actually walking down the sidewalk a whole block and a half to a diner –with your gaze on the street in front of you, not on the ground. Unfortunately, that means you see the pair of red eyes staring at you from the shrubs that line the street.  
You've had problems with self-esteem, and luckily that's why you're friends with Matthew. You're both accidental loners; no one ever notices you. And you're both too nervous to speak up for yourself, even to the point where you may seem rude, in your case. You just can't make yourself say anything. Matthew's your guardian angel. He's the one person you can actually relate to. And you love him for it.  
As the little bell rings when you open the door, you spot Matthew in your usual corner at the very back of the diner. He lifts his head from his book, violet eyes scanning the room for you. You feel special, almost giddy.  
"Hey, Lizzie," he greets you in his super-shy-but-louder-than-usual voice. You slide into the booth, and you smile at him.  
"Hello, Matthew. Sorry I'm late," you apologize.  
"No, you're actually thirty seconds early," Matthew grins.  
You laugh as he puts away his book. "So how's life treating you?"  
"Well…you know. People keep mistaking me for my jerk brother. He's been acting extra jerky lately, even for him. It's weird. So…yeah, Arthur yelled at me this morning. I don't know why this time, but it was…intimidating." You think back to the pair of red eyes in the bushes. You're sure they were nothing, but you can never be too careful.  
"Aw, Mattie," you sympathize. Though he hides behind his (adorable) curtain of blond hair, you can see him smiling. You like his smile: it's warm, like hot chocolate. "I can't disagree though. Alfred is a real jerk."  
When the waiter comes around, the both of you order hot chocolate. The waiter raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment. Most kids your age order coffee, but not you. You're different and you sometimes take pride in it.  
Then your going-to-be-perfect morning is completely spoiled. They both walk in: the Evil Demon Twins, as you call them. You'd been friends with them until sixth grade, when you realized that they didn't care about you at all…identical nightmares with dirty blond hair, brown eyes, freckles, five-foot-seven bodies and fake kindness. You know they're not as nice as they seem. You start thinking, and you joke to yourself that maybe one of them could have had the pair of red eyes in the shrubs.  
"Lizzie? What's wrong?" Matthew asks with a slight frown on his face. You realize you were staring and you shake your head. But then you notice the same pair of red eyes peeking at you from the leaves of some potted plant outside the diner from the window.  
"Nothing…just…them," you explain tiredly as you tilt your head in their direction. You don't mention the red eyes; Matthew's not the bravest soul. "Angela and Monica."  
"Don't you mean the Evil Demon Twins?" he whispers, a gleam in his violet eyes.  
"Yeah." You finally tear your gaze away from the two monstrosities when they sit down. "At least I got someone new who is ten squillion times better than them," you tell him, smiling.  
"No," he objects through his blush.  
"Yes," you say, poking his arm. "Matthew Williams is a much, much better person than the Evil Demon Twins."  
"And Lizzie Bircher is better than them too."  
"Good."  
"Hot chocolates," the waiter announces, setting the two steaming mugs on our table. You glance at yours, and see that the whipped cream seems to spell out a name: Al. As you drink the cocoa, both your glasses fog up at the same time. Oh, how lucky you are to have Matthew. He's a real friend, unlike those lies. You try to forget about all of those paranormal things, and try to enjoy the feeling of being with your best friend.


	2. Little Lizzie and Mini Matthew's Story

"Hey, Liz?" your older sister, Maude asks you.  
"What," you groan. "And I thought I told you not to call me Liz!"  
"Whatever. Anyway, you're not doing anything tomorrow, right?" You finally lift your gaze to the blonde girl in front of you. You'd always admired her; she was just so much prettier than you.  
Choppy blond was your style, though looking at her perfect (and natural, mind you) curly golden locks was enough to make you sick. While you're as blind as a bat, her hazel eyes could see just fine. She is twenty-two, but it makes you so envious of how much taller than you she is. You'd always been short; her extra four inches intimidated your meek five-foot-zero self. Freckles dot just across her nose and cheeks, while you sit there with nothing but an extra set of eyes. Hey, at least they're purple.  
"Um…Matthew and I were going to see a movie…why?" you ask, your voice shaking a bit.  
"Great. I was going to see a movie tomorrow anyway. Which one are y'all going to see?"  
"The Lego Movie." By now, you're just uninterested. You look back down into your book, the thought of seeing a movie with your friend comforting.  
"Crap. I was going to see…" Yeah, you stopped listening. You don't really care; you're half reading, half fantasizing.  
"What…what time is yours at?"  
"Eight. Yours?"  
"Seven forty-five."  
"Close enough. Ugh, I wish mom didn't make me stick with you. You can take care of yourself."  
"I can?" you ask, actually sticking your completely nerdy bookmark between the pages in your novel.  
"Yeah," she tells you. You wince; she's talking to you like she did when you were five. "You're eighteen now. That's an adult, Lizzie. We live in the USA."  
"Sometimes I wish I lived in Canada," you announce, daydreaming about your Canadian friend. He always likes to brag about how Canada has the best maple syrup ever.  
"That's just because you have a crush on Matthew," Maude teases.  
"I-I do not!" you protest.  
"Of course you don't. And we don't live on planet Earth."  
"You bitch!"  
"Ooh, language, Lizzie. Don't want mom to hear!"  
"I hate you," you mumble, picking up your book and trudging to your room.

You try not to think of those weird red eyes earlier. You're sure they were just tricks of the light or something. No one can have red eyes, right? You think of albino people, but you dismiss the thought. Their eyes are more pink, anyway. Not like this blood-red color. And Matthew had been saying that Alfred was acting weird earlier...you think of the words you swear you saw in your whipped cream. That probably was just a coincidence, right? Of course it was! Who are you kidding? You shake your head, clearing those strange thoughts of yours. But it can't help you from being nervous out of your mind. Oh well, right? Leaving you to yourself is dangerous. Your mind wanders to August twenty-sixth, seven years ago…Little Lizzie was so carefree back then. It was the first day of sixth grade, and the first day of middle school. Little Lizzie was so happy because she knew her two best friends in the entire world would be there waiting for her. Was she right? Hell, no.

When Little Lizzie arrived in the designated courtyard for sixth graders, she spotted Angela and Monica right away. But they were…in a crowd…of people. And Little Lizzie didn't like half of them. They were so much smarter than her and she could tell they didn't like her either. One to name is Karla.  
"Hi, Angela!" Little Lizzie had greeted cheerfully.  
"Hi, um, Lizzie. Sit…somewhere," Angela greeted, only looking up for half a second before returning to her conversation with Karla.  
Little Lizzie sat down next to Monica, and tried to talk. "So, are you excited?" she asked happily.  
Monica completely disregarded Little Lizzie. A frown crept onto Little Lizzie's face, and she glanced at her watch. There was still half an hour until the bell rang for them to go inside. And for that whole half hour, she thought. And she realized. And she hid her tears.  
The twins didn't care about her. Throughout the rest of that year, Little Lizzie realized that she was right. They never liked her. They were just too nice to say otherwise. The only reason the twins ever bothered with Little Lizzie was because no one else would. They would act nice…but it wasn't sincere. Why else would they ignore her every other second of her life?  
By seventh grade, Little Lizzie was just filled with rage. She had this safety-pin. When she got really mad, or sad, she would scratch her wrist with it. It was perfect; it hurt, which she craved, but it wouldn't scar. She did this for a long time, as it was easily concealed.  
But then she met Mini Matthew. She'd accidentally run into him in the hall, causing both of their binders to fly out of their hands. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, let me help," Mini Matthew had apologized, and Little Lizzie was too socially awkward to even speak.  
Little Lizzie got on her knees and helped him pick up their stuff, but then she recognized him from her lunch period. "Hey, you're that boy who sits all alone at lunch," she observed.  
He had stopped, and looked at her. "And you're that girl who sits by herself."  
"Yeah," Little Lizzie said quietly. "My friends are jerks and I hate them."  
"The Jetter twins?" he had guessed.  
"How do you know?"  
"I see you glaring daggers at them sometimes."  
"Yeah," Little Lizzie had admitted. "Name's Lizzie. Lizzie Bircher."  
"Matthew. Matthew Williams."  
And that's how the both of you had met. You wipe away a tear that slipped down your face as you read one of your seventh grade poems you wrote. You remember it had been especially meaningful after Angela (who was in your English class) had read hers about all of her best friends. You had wondered if the first eleven years of your whole life had meant nothing to her. Returning your thoughts to the poem, you read it to yourself.  
"Like ice,  
like glass,  
cracks and fissures run through my very composure.  
It snaps  
and I fall to pieces;  
there is nothing  
more to me  
than broken shards  
and lies of  
supposed innocence  
that disappear  
once the lights  
go off."  
You still can't believe you wrote depressing stuff like this. Matthew really helped you figure out your life…that you didn't need the Evil Demon Twins. He was even one of the few people who recognize that they really aren't all that nice. And you love him for it.

Maybe one of the Evil Demon Twin's eyes really are red. Maybe those crazy freaking bitches are Evil Demon Twins. But one thing's for sure in your mind: nothing that happened today was by chance. Red eyes, then the Evil Demon Twins randomly showing up in the most unnoticed diner in town? As if that would be a coincidence. Those things certainly are ominous. And what else is ominous? That Matthew's brother's nickname showed up in your drink right after he said Alfred had been acting strangely. Those two things are linked, you swear it. And you're going to find out why or how, even if you REALLY don't want to know.


	3. The Lego Movie of Horror

"Here," you tell Matthew, handing him the bucket of popcorn and taking your seat in the very top row. Once you get settled down, you realize Matthew's being awfully quiet.  
You turn to him, and see that he won't meet your gaze. He frowns, which isn't much like him. He seems really worried about something.  
"Matthew? What's wrong?" you ask him, frowning as well.  
"I'm really worried about Alfred. He's acting like an even bigger asshole…but, it's different. Like he's more violent," Matthew explains, his violet eyes intense.  
"I'm sorry. I wish I could help."  
"Yeah, me too."  
The lights dim, and the movie starts. The movie is hilarious, there's no denying it. But you're really worried about Matthew. He laughs along with everyone else, but it seems halfhearted.  
About halfway through the movie, a loud THWACK makes both of you jump. Only a few people seem to notice it, and it's not coming from the movie.  
"What the hell was that?" Matthew whispers.  
"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from the projector room," you tell him.  
Matthew leans forward and turns around to see the little window near the ceiling that lets the projector, well, project. He gasps, and presses himself against the back of the chair. "Holy shit," he hisses.  
"What?" you ask, really worried now.  
"The window," he starts, his voice firm yet shaky. "…is bloodstained. Like, as in that sound may have been someone dying bloodstained."  
You blink, trying to comprehend what he's saying. "What…the…fuhhh?"  
"Oh, god…"  
You lean over to see the window and sure enough, he's right. Biting your lip, you decide to forget you ever saw anything. That's right; it's all your imagination. Nothing more.  
Sinking lower into the chair, you allow your attention back to the movie. It almost worked until both you and Matthew hear a scream. "What the hell what that?" Matthew demands, looking over in the direction of the scream.  
Then you see him.  
Just a silhouette, but you can make out his shape. He's taller than you, which is no surprise. He seems pretty muscular, and he seems strong. But the most terrifying part is the baseball bat in his hand…the bat with nails in it. The bat that could kill someone, no doubt about it.  
Your eyes widen, and you hear a small whimper escape from Matthew. It's barely audible over the movie and the various screams, but you hear it.  
"What the fuck…that's Alfred."


	4. Baseball Bats and Road Trips

You silently curse yourself for choosing the movie theater that was the most run-down. It was small, and there weren't any security cameras. You doubt the room you're in is bigger than your elementary school cafeteria. The air is chorused with screams, mostly of seven or eight year olds as Alfred claims another victim. That menacing baseball bat crashes onto a skull, and you can hear it crushing from across the theater.  
"Matthew?" you whisper, partially paralyzed with fear.  
He's just as frozen as you are. "That's…that's Alfred. That's…my brother. That is my brother. THAT is my BROTHER!"  
"Yeah, Matthew, that's…Alfred. Now let's get the hell out of here!" you suggest loudly, snapping him out of his trance.  
"Right." He glances around madly, searching for an exit. Luckily, Alfred's on the other side of the theater. Unluckily, he's at the bottom and you're at the top. Your eyes calculate the time it would take to reach the exit, and you figure he could beat you there. But anything's worth a shot when you're about to die.  
"Matthew," you hiss. "Straight down, left."  
Matthew glances in the direction of the exit, and nods. "Stay low."  
You crouch behind the seats, and slowly start making your way down the stairs. Your gaze never leaves Alfred, while searching for anything to protect you or Matthew all the same.  
When you make it to the bottom of the stairs, you thought you were safe. But then Matthew freezes, and it takes you about half a second to figure out what happened.  
Alfred's red (weren't they blue?) and Matthew's violet eyes meet. Alfred smirks, his face bloodstained. Matthew's look is one of horrifying, alarming, one-hundred-percent pure terror. "Matthew, run!" you hiss, and Matthew shakes his head. You both stand up, and make a mad dash for the exit.  
Outside the theater, you find Maude. "What's going on in there? I heard screams from my movie and I wanted to make sure you were okay-" she starts, but you cut her off, grabbing her by the wrist as you run.  
"CAR, NOW!" you scream.  
"If you want to live, run!" Matthew adds.  
The three of you run out of the theater and dash across the parking lot. "Start the car, start the car!" you urge, locking the doors once you close them.  
"I am!" Maude protests.  
"God, I feel so bad for leaving them…" Matthew chokes. You look him over, and see that he's more than just ruffled. He's all out sobbing; even that curl he has in his hair is slicked down by his tears.  
"Matthew, I'm so sorry…" you whisper.  
"Okay, someone tell me what the FUCK is going on," Maude demands, driving away from the theater.  
You and Matthew exchange a glance, and you fill her in on what just happened.  
Maude's quiet. "…So…I take it you don't want to go home tonight?" she asks Matthew quietly.  
"God, no," he answers her.  
"You can stay with us, then. Mom and Dad are in Florida for the next week."  
"Thanks," Matthew sighs, letting out a sigh of relief. "I just…don't know what to do."  
"We can figure that out later," you reassure your broken friend. You would be too, if you'd just witness your sibling murder a bunch of kids with a nail filled baseball bat.  
When you get home, you don't feel comfortable. So you decide to state your opinion. "Hey…sorry for bringing it up, but, Alfred is Matthew's brother. He'll probably figure that he's with us…" you tell them.  
"Shit," Maude curses.  
"Road trip," Matthew says.  
Within ten minutes, you've all packed some necessities, with the exception of Matthew. He doesn't have any clothes, it being that he doesn't live with you. When Maude asks if he wants to swing by his house first, he shakes his head violently.  
"I'll be fine," he tells her.  
"Let's go out of state," you suggest. "We don't live too far from the border."  
"Good idea, Lizzie," Maude accepts, and you all load into the car again.  
"I'm scared," Matthew whimpers.  
"I know, Mattie. I'm really sorry. I wish I only knew why the hell he did that," you apologize in a low tone. The rest of the car ride is silent.


	5. Cupcake Dreams

Thank god, your sister found a motel that was willing to take walk-ins once you got out of state. The drive took a little more than six hours, but you figured it was safe enough.  
The three of you collapse on the various surfaces in your rooms. Matthew's being nice since he came with you, so he takes the couch. You and Maude each get your own beds (thank god) and all you want to do is sleep, but Matthew insists you check out the place.  
"Fine," you mumble, getting up.  
Walking out the door, the three of you stare out into the hallway. Feeling silly, you walk straight down the hall. "C'mon, it's not like anyone's going to suddenly jump out at you," you coax. They both follow you.  
You hear a familiar voice at the end of the corridor, but the tone is completely alien to you. "Lizzie!" the voice sings.  
When you (and Maude and Matthew) turn around, you see Arthur. But he doesn't look like Arthur. Over a light pink collared shirt, he sports a bright pink vest. And the thing that stands out most: his bright blue bowtie that matches his eyes. And weren't his eyes green?  
"A-Arthur?" Matthew asks, his voice slightly shaky.  
"Hello, Matthew! And Lizzie and Lizzie's older sister!" Arthur trills, waving his hand and smiling hugely. This is really freaking you out. "And please, call me Oliver."  
"Dear god," you whisper.  
Oliver shuts his room's door, but it catches on something. Your eyes widen to see that it's a leg. Like a human leg jamming the door. As in a leg that belongs to a dead body.  
He holds out a plate of cupcakes to you. "Would any of you care for a cupcake?" Oliver asks in his ever-pleasant tone. You shake your hand behind your back, letting your companions know not to take one. Judging from what happened to the last guy, you don't want one.  
"Um…no. Actually we were, uh, heading back to our room," Maude explains.  
"Oh," Oliver pants. "Well, maybe next time then, love?"  
"Sure," you smile, hoping he didn't catch your second glance at the body.  
You turn around stiffly, and the three of you walk back to your room. "I want to go to bed," Matthew moans, falling face-first onto the couch.  
"I can't take another…weird…person…today," you sigh, curling up under the blankets. You take off your glasses, and go to sleep.

"Lizzie," a voice calls in your dream. "Lizzie…"  
Your dream self blinks her eyes open. You glance around, but it's totally dark. You can't see a thing. "Lizzie, why didn't you want the cupcake?" another voice asks…she sounds insane.  
In your dream, you try to speak. But no words come out. Instead, another voice answers for you. "Because she'd rather not. I'm sure she had a perfectly good reason not to take it." She sounds like a decent person.  
"I wonder what it would've tasted like," a girl's voice daydreams. She sounds young.  
"I'm sure it tasted just fine!" the insane girl snaps.  
"Yeah, if you like poison," another retorts, with a slight French accent.  
Poisoned cupcakes? Well, you were right…but that's not really a good thing to be right about. You want to wake up so badly and be in your bed at home. Yesterday was a nightmare. Yeah, that's it; a nightmare. Alfred isn't a crazy murderer. Arthur's name isn't Oliver, and he doesn't poison his cupcakes.  
"Or it could taste like human," the sane-sounding one says.  
And with that lovely thought in mind, your dream fades into nothing.


	6. Let's Go to College

"Okay, so…college," you say to Matthew. You both stand in the magnificence of the University. It's your first day, and it's been six months since the incident with Alfred and Arthur. But that's not necessarily a good thing; neither of them have been seen since.  
After your first day, you've met some friends. One of them actually noticed Matthew and you, which is how you all met. So now you sit in the courtyard after classes with them. You feel terribly awkward; you're the only girl.  
There's Feliciano, who's actually really weird. And you would've sworn he was gay if he didn't flirt with every girl he sees. But that sadly excludes you. He has this strange curl off to the side of his brunette head, but it's not as big as Matthew's. His eyes are warm amber, and they remind you of a picture you saw of a sunset in Italy.  
Then there's his friend Ludwig. One thing you need to state: he's very tall. His blond hair is slicked back, and he has a heavy German accent. You find him handsome, but his social awkwardness kind of kills it.  
Kuki is very quiet. He doesn't talk much, but he doesn't need to. He has a quiet softness to him I wish Feliciano had. Kuki's brown eyes are usually focused on the ground, but you don't mind. He's nice enough.  
Ludwig seems to be really mad about something. He seethes silently, leaving the rest of you to sit awkwardly. By the rest of you, you mean everyone excluding Feliciano.  
"Hey, Ludwig, what's-a wrong?" Feliciano asks with a happier tone than Oliver.  
"It's nothing," Ludwig dismisses.  
"No, it's something. Tell me, buddy! Tell me!" Feliciano presses.  
You and Matthew look at each other and snicker to yourselves.  
"Fine, if you want to hear about my idiot brother, pay attention!" Ludwig snaps. "He's been acting really depressed lately and he won't tell me why."  
"Gilbert's depressed? That is a shock to even me," Kuki says in his quiet voice.  
"Oh, I know why! He told me earlier!" Feliciano trills.  
"WHAT?" Ludwig roars. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"  
"He said he's-a sad because Elizabeta's gone and he doesn't know where she is~!"  
"Um…who's that?" you ask quietly.  
"Ooh, she's a pretty Hungarian girl! She helped raise me!" Feliciano explains happily.  
"I feel sorry for her," Matthew whispers uber-quietly.  
"To come to think about it, I haven't seen any of our female friends around, have you?" Ludwig asks.  
"I think you're right. I haven't seen Elizabeta or Natalia, Sofia, Seychelles or Laura," Kuki states.  
"And wasn't Basch saying he didn't know where Erica is?" Feliciano adds.  
"I'm lost," you say.  
"Erica is Basch's little sister, though he thinks she's really annoying. I don't, though; she's adorable!" Feliciano tells you.  
"Pedophile," Ludwig mumbles. "And I can't really explain who the rest are. But Sofia and Natalia are Ivan's sisters, if that helps at all."  
"Ivan…?" you ask.  
"He's that really tall guy. Who talks quietly and seems nice but it's kind of creepy," Matthew reminds you.  
"Oh, that guy," you recall.  
Suddenly, you hear screaming. The five of you jerk around to the direction of the screams. Your heart seems to beat out of your chest. You can't breathe, and you're scared stiff. Seriously, you can't move.  
Standing across the courtyard menacingly, is the blood-spattered form of Alfred. His chest is heaving, and some unfortunate boy's broken body lies on the ground. He smiles sadistically at anyone who looks him in the eye. He uses his baseball bat as a cane, and he leans onto it.  
While you're too terrified to even let out the breath you've been holding, Matthew whispers his brother's name, "Alfred."  
"Who?" Feliciano asks.  
"Get the hell out of here!" Matthew cries, for once his voice louder than a whisper.  
Then the five of you dash to the nearest entrance back into the main building.


	7. Into the Room and Under the Table

Because you were the first to reach the door, you tug on the handle. It won't open. "What's taking so long?" Matthew demands.  
"It won't open!" you shout.  
"Move," Ludwig commands. He kicks the door down, much to your surprise, and you all run inside.  
"What the hell is happening?" Feliciano asks, panting.  
"A-Alfred!" Matthew gasps as you all run. "I have no idea why, but he's totally insane!"  
The crowds of people inside the school are all running around madly. The five of you try to stay together, but you all get shoved around wildly. You grab Matthew's sleeve to stay with him, and he tries to find Ludwig. "What do we do?" Matthew asks wildly.  
"Find the nearest classroom, and then follow basic lockdown procedures. They announced it on the intercom just now but you could barely hear it," Ludwig explains, leading you to some classroom. Once you're all inside, you shut the door. There isn't a class in here, but there are a few students who chose this room as well.  
A platinum-haired boy hurriedly closes the blinds, and Ludwig locks the door. Another boy who looks a whole lot like Feliciano (his curl is on the other side of his head and he's taller) covers the window on the door. And lastly, one more kid who practically screams Spanish barricades the door with a few desks.  
"What the fuck is going on?" the white-haired boy asks, revealing he has an accent not unlike Ludwig's. Upon scanning his face, you see he has pale skin and red eyes.  
"Some psycho is attacking the courtyard with a baseball bat!" Feliciano offers, his tone still bouncy but it comes with an air of seriousness to it.  
"That 'psycho' is my brother," Matthew mutters.  
Everyone in the room hides under the remaining desks and you all decide you acquaint yourselves with each other.  
"Matthew, Lizzie, this is my…brother…Gilbert," Ludwig whispers, gesturing to the silver-haired kid.  
"Hmm," is all Gilbert says.

"And this is my-a brother!" Feliciano announces, putting an arm around the kid that looked like him a lot. "His name's Lovino! He's also very grumpy."  
"Why'd you have to bring the potato bastard with you?" Lovino mutters. Ludwig snorts.  
"And that is Antonio," Kuki says quietly, gesturing to the Spaniard.  
"Hola," Antonio greets.  
You're squished in between Matthew (which you're okay with) and Feliciano (which you're less okay with) under the same desk. Under the desk next to yours are Lovino, Antonio and Kuki. And crouching under the last desk are Gilbert and Ludwig.  
"Hey…if Al's here…does that mean that Oliver is, too?" Matthew asks quietly.  
"Oliver?" Ludwig asks, confused.  
"Arthur Kirkland," you explain. "He…um…likes poisoned cupcakes, apparently."  
"Not that guy," Feliciano moans. "His food is terrible!"  
"Tasteless bastard," Lovino mutters.  
"Aw, Lovino, you don't have to be so negative," Antonio chides.  
"Well how the hell are we supposed to be POSITIVE? Some crazy idiot is attacking our school with a fuckin' baseball bat! How am I supposed to feel good about this?" Lovino retorts.  
"I don't know…just trying to make it better…" Antonio whimpers.  
"You've only made it worse," Gilbert snaps.  
You only half-listen to the following conversation. Your eyes are trained on one thing and one thing only: a blue and pink cupcake placed in the middle of the room, on the floor. "Hey, guys…? There aren't any connecting rooms to this one, are there?" you ask shakily.  
"No, why?" Ludwig asks you.  
"Because," you gulp. "There's an Oliver cupcake in here."


	8. Attack of The Cupcake Lord

All of you stare at it. Both you and Matthew are shaking with fear, and Ludwig stares at it as if it might explode at any second. Kuki scoots back a little. Antonio and Feliciano both just look dumbfounded, and Lovino only raises an eyebrow. "That was DEFINITELY not here when I came in," Gilbert says to all of you.  
"That means…" you choke.  
"A psychotic poisoned-cupcake-loving maniac is in the same room as us," Matthew breathes.  
"I surrender," Feliciano whimpers.  
"But where…?" Kuki asks.  
"There," you gasp, pointing.  
All eight of your gazes reach up to the Brit expertly suspending himself between two walls like some sort of mutant spider ninja. His grin is huge, and his eyes are wide. You're reminded vaguely of a great white shark that's eaten too much cotton candy.  
None of you makes a sound. None of you moves. None of you breathes. Then Oliver breaks the silence. "Aw, I wanted someone else. I don't think I can kill you guys just yet," Oliver sighs, dropping onto the floor. The frown on his face makes you think of a sad puppy.  
Then that fleeting sensation of sympathy for the Brit leaves once his grin returns. He flashes a knife, and lets out a small chuckle. "Doesn't mean I can't have some fun with you guys, though!" he cackles.  
"No, no, no, no," you chant under your breath.  
"It's going to be okay," Matthew reassures you. You stare at him in disbelief.  
"Are you INSANE?" you demand.  
"Trying to help!"  
"Antonio, I'm scared!" Lovino cries, flinging himself onto the Spaniard.  
"Uhh," Antonio moans.  
The rest of you crawl out from under the tables. "Please go and terrorize someone else," Kuki asks.  
"I'm fine right here, love. Thanks for asking politely, though!" Oliver trills.  
"You motherfucker," Gilbert hisses.  
"Now, now. That's not very nice. So, would you like to play, or will you have a cupcake?" Oliver inquires.  
"Neither," you mumble.  
"Hmm, let's start with you first, love," Oliver giggles.  
"What?" Ludwig asks, stepping forward. Before any of you knows what happens, everyone but you is pinned to the walls by knives. Your eyes widen in terror, and you gulp. You want to go home more than anything. You were right about the red eyes and Evil Demon Twins that day in the diner, but not in the way you wanted at all.  
You don't even know how exactly, but Oliver ties you to a chair. "Arthur, what the hell happened to you?" you demand.  
"Arthur," Oliver scowls. "He was so rude. Always fighting with Francois. He didn't deserve to be in control. But what he DOES deserve is to be made into one of my delicious cupcakes. But unfortunately, I can't do that. So, let's start, shall we?"  
You hear Matthew whimper your name, and Gilbert growls in frustration. Lovino's excessive use of profanities is drowned out by your fear. This is one of those times when your fight or flight instinct kicks in…but now you can do neither.  
Oliver approaches you, knife in hand. Tears start their ways down your cheeks, and Oliver lets out a soft chuckle. "So, love, why didn't you want a cupcake?"


	9. Knives and Confessions

A small whimper escapes you. Everyone pinned to the wall struggles to free themselves. You, on the other hand, are frozen in complete fear. Oliver starts laughing –but it's not a sane laugh. It's a laugh you might hear in an asylum, not from a normal person. Your tears fall faster, and you silently curse yourselves for locking the door. Now no one can help you.  
His knife is wickedly sharp; six or seven inches of deadly metal. He holds it over you, poised to stab, but instead he grazes it against your cheek. Your flesh tears open and blood trickles down your face. "Aw, I'm sure you'd make a lovely cupcake. But boss said we can't kill you yet," Oliver complains.  
"Who's 'boss?'" Ludwig demands from across the room.  
"I can't tell you!" Oliver cackles. He brings the knife down, and it punctures your arm. You cry out in pain, and stare in horror as the warm crimson liquid pours out of the wound. "Sorry about that, love. I was supposed to stab you harder."  
Your eyes widen with terror, and Oliver slices you across your collarbone. "Lizzie!" Matthew cries. The blood from the cut stains into your shirt, and you feebly ask the crazy Brit to stop.  
Oliver makes many cuts, slices and punctures across your body, and then he decides he's done. "Well, we'll meet again," he grins before climbing out the air duct.  
Your body is soaked red by your own blood. Every nerve that can hurt, does. You're too tired to fight against the bonds, and your head hangs limply.  
Ludwig finally just rips through his shirt. He wrenches out the knife that had him pinned to the wall, and sets everyone else free. Matthew rushes to your side and unties you from the chair. You're vaguely aware of him calling your name before you pass out.

Your eyes blink open, and you're staring up into a bright light. You cover your gaze with your hands, and let the white spots that cloud your vision dance away. When they're gone, you sit up. You look around, and see that you're in the nurse's office. You groan, and remember all of what happened.  
When you get to your dorm, you immediately call Matthew. "What the hell happened back there?" you demand once he picks up.  
"That's what I want to know. And why'd Oliver and Alfred come here? Maybe they want US. But how'd they find out we were at this particular University?" he asks.  
"I don't know. And I'm kind of afraid to."  
"God…I don't know what's going on but I wish it wasn't."  
"Me too. But there's something I have to tell you." Your mind flies back to that day in the diner. It's been bothering you since that very day.  
"What?" Matthew's voice is shaky, as if he's scared.  
"Remember after we graduated, and we'd gone to that diner? When I was walking there, I saw a pair of red eyes. Then I saw them again when we were inside, as the Evil Demon Twins showed up. I think those might have something to do with what's going on."  
"Al has red eyes…"  
"That's what I'm thinking."  
"Crap."


	10. Perverts and Mafias

"Hey, Lizzie, can I tell you something?" Matthew asks you as we walks beside you in the hallways. The cafeteria is far away from your class before it, so you two always have time to talk.  
"Sure. What's wrong, Matthew?" you answer, suddenly feeling concerned.  
"It's just…Ludwig's been acting weird lately. Like, really weird."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Like…perverted weird."  
"Ewwwwwww," you moan. Matthew gives you his I'm-Totally-Disguested-Help-Me-Out-of-This-and-I'll-Buy-You-A-Cookie face. "But wait. You're a guy."  
"That's the problem!" Matthew wails. "He keeps telling everyone to call him 'Lutz!'"  
"So he's gay…? I really don't have anything wrong with that."  
"Me neither. BUT IT'S A PERVY GAY !"  
"Um…so…just don't talk to him."  
"I've been trying…!"  
^-^ HAPPY FACE TIME SKIP YAY  
Matthew is right. After lunch, Lutz comes up to you in a very Francis-y fashion. He tries to flirt with you, which is very un Ludwig-like.  
"Hey, Lizzie," he purrs in an I'm-trying-to-be-seductive way.  
"No," you say simply before running down the hall, the German on your heels. "Damn you, Matthew!" you curse under your breath. Why does your Canadian friend have to be right all the time?  
"Kuki!" you shout, recognizing your friend in the hallway. "What the crap is wrong with him?"  
"Uhh," Kuki moans before you hide behind him. "Oh…" he says, noticing Lutz.  
"C'mon, Japan, where's the girl?" Lutz demands. Luckily, since you're short, you can hide behind your also-short friend.  
"There," Kuki says, pointing down the opposite corridor. Lutz nods and dashes off.  
"Thanks," you whisper.  
"Run like hell."  
You make it all the way back to your room without stopping. You call Matthew, and report what happened.  
"I told you! He's bi…!" Matthew cries.  
"Once again, I have no problem with that. Whatsoever," you remind him.  
"But it's perverted…!"  
"That part is wrong."  
"What if…everyone we know is gonna turn out like them? I mean, Al was so…heroic. Now he's like let's kill people with my baseball bat. And Arthur was all grumpy and now he wants us to call him Oliver and he makes poison cupcakes. And Ludwig was a real formal, military kind of guy…now he's, uh, one big-ass pervert."  
"Don't…don't talk like that."  
"But Lizzie-"  
"Don't talk like that! You're making me feel worse."  
"Sorry."  
"I don't want to think like that."  
Then you hear a yelp come from Matthew's side of the line.  
"What the hell was that!?" you demand, suddenly worried.  
"F-Feliciano! H-hi there, um, nice…throwing…knives?" Matthew says nervously to Feliciano who is apparently in his room.  
"Oh, Luciano. That's a nice name too. Lutz? Um…no? I mean I haven't seen him! But I think he might be in the courtyard? I heard some screams…?"  
You hear a door slam from Matthew's side, and all you hear then is heavy breathing. "Matthew…what the fuck was that?" you ask, trying to keep calm.  
"Italian Mafia Feliciano," Matthew whispers in his tone of voice he saves for people who aren't you.  
"Fuck you. Really. Why do you have to be right?"  
"I don't want to be right."


	11. Luciano Should Get His Lunch Money

By the end of the month, you and Matthew seem to be two of the very few who are acting themselves. Lutz is a pervert. Luciano is mafia-mad. Gilbert's acting like Ludwig. Lovino dyed his hair blonde and dresses like some hipster out of a fashion magazine, demanding we call him Flavio, and acts like Feliciano did. Antonio acts really depressed and sociopathic, yet he hangs around Flavio for some reason. Francis, the Frenchman, likes to smoke and he acts more like a stoner than the flirt he was. And finally, Kuki. He's even more withdrawn than he was, and he seems to favor his katana.  
"Holy crap," Matthew gasps, shutting the classroom door behind him. "Ohhh how the hell am I still alive?"  
You tilt your head in confusion. "Care to explain?" you ask.  
"God…Luciano didn't get his lunch money. Now there's a dead guy in the hallway."  
"I don't want to be here…"  
"Me neither." Matthew takes his usual seat next to you. It doesn't matter if you two talk during class; no one notices you anyway.  
"I'm sort of thinking of taking a little trip…as far away from here as possible," you tell your friend.  
"Can I come with you?" he begs.  
"I don't want to be alone. Sure. Let's do it."  
"Yeah."  
\(o.o\) time skip yay (/o.o)/  
Matthew was being polite (no surprise there) and offered to drive for you. You'd accepted, it being that you're too tired to do anything else.  
So now you and he sit in the car, silent, as you try to get as far away as you can from the madhouse that is your home.  
"Mattie?" you ask quietly, shattering the air of silence.  
"Yeah?" he responds, his eyes glued to the road.  
"What do we do?"  
"…" His violet eyes suddenly seem tired, like he's gone days without sleeping. He sighs, his frown growing. "I don't know. But I'm scared."  
"M-me too."


End file.
